Stinky sock syndrome is real, and is not just caused by your teenager's stinky feet after wearing shoes and socks all day. It is caused by mold in the a coil of your AC and either needs a thorough cleaning by a qualified HVAC technician or replacement, if necessary.
The smell has a name, and it's caused by mold and bacteria in your HVAC system, and can be removed and prevented with the right steps. You come home from a hard day's work, fire up the air conditioner, and after a few minutes, your home smells musty, like stale, dirty socks.
Sex, showers, and illness all carry odors that get trapped in carpet fibers. Stinky feet, muddy shoes, and spilled nighttime treats add to the stench. This is prime breeding ground for musty smells. If removing the carpet isn't an option, pour baking soda onto your carpet – lightly, of course – all over the room.
Dirty Sock Syndrome most often occurs during the spring — when your AC system is not running as frequently and moisture, dust, and dirt have more time to accumulate on the evaporator coil in between cycles. If you cool and heat your home with a heat pump, you may see this problem crop up in the fall as well.
If you smell a musty or moldy odor, you could have a mold problem—some people say that mold smells like dirty socks or feet. Mold can vary in severity from being merely an inconvenience to being dangerously toxic, so it's important to address the issue immediately.
The main causes of smelly feet are a build-up of sweat and bacteria on them and fungal infections like athlete's foot. The amount you sweat can be affected by: hot weather.
Isovaleric acid, for example, is responsible for both the scent of Parmesan cheese and stinky feet.
Most people describe the smell of mold as musty, stale, and earthy — somewhat similar the odor of wet socks or decaying wood. Although mold smells can vary, here are some of the most common characteristics: Musty and Stale — like old socks or a stuffy attic that hasn't been aired out in months.
It's often described as musty and earthy, and may even smell like rotting vegetables or plants. You might notice a musty smell, but not be able to see any mold growing. In this case, you should look for areas that might be exposed to water. Mold needs moisture to grow.
Mold and bacteria grow to excess along the system's evaporator, producing that dirty sock odor that finally becomes noticeable once you start running the system again.
Brevibacteria are considered a major cause of foot odor because they ingest dead skin on the feet and, in the process, convert the amino acid methionine into methanethiol, a colorless gas with a distinctive sulfuric aroma.
The short answer to this question is yes, mold does have a distinct odor. The best way to describe the scent is “musty” or “earthy.” Some individuals even compare it to the smell of sweaty socks.
A musty or dusty smell is often a sign of mold or mildew, especially in humid or moisture-prone environments like the basement, laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom. Mold and mildew can create severe respiratory problems and can exacerbate allergies and asthma in sensitive individuals.
Mold will smell musty and stale. But if the mold has been growing in your home for a long time, the smell will be stronger like how sweaty socks or rotten meat smell. You can also buy a home-test kit for molds, but these are not guaranteed to give you accurate measurements of airborne particles.
If the smell coming from your AC smells like dirty socks or stinky feet, this is another indication of a moisture issue. Your filters may be dirty or your drainage system clogged, causing too much moisture or standing water in your AC unit that eventually starts to smell like sweaty feet.
Deodorize your stinkiest rooms by placing a mixture of 3-parts water, 10 drops of citrus oil, and 1-part vodka in a decorative bowl. This is especially effective in rooms with strong foot or body odors like mudrooms and laundry rooms.
Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions.
Common symptoms include sneezing, coughing, congestion and eye irritation. It rarely causes serious illness or death but may worsen asthma symptoms. You can't cure a black mold allergy, but a healthcare provider can diagnose it and help treat your symptoms.
Black mold can look menacing, but generally is benign. The primary symptoms that could occur would be from inhaling mold, including nasal stuffiness, nasal mucus drainage, cough, and occasionally shortness of breath or wheezing in the chest.
If your home has a stale, musty scent, there could be a handful of explanations, including a plumbing leak, high humidity, poor airflow, dirty HVAC equipment, or soiled carpet.
The strong, distinct musty smell is often the first sign of mold or mildew that has been growing inside your air conditioner's vents and ducts for quite some time.
Mold and mildew smell stale and pungent, similar to the smell of rotting wood. It's most common smelled in either places where mold spores can colonize undisturbed like basements and closets, or in places where there is plenty of moisture like bathrooms.
Mercaptan smells like stinky feet, old cheese, or putrid food to most people. Some liken it to the smell of skunks spraying nearby. The odor is from the sulfur molecule in the gas. Mercaptan itself is harmless, but natural gas is not.
Stinky sock syndrome is real, and is not just caused by your teenager's stinky feet after wearing shoes and socks all day. It is caused by mold in the a coil of your AC and either needs a thorough cleaning by a qualified HVAC technician or replacement, if necessary.
Staphylococcus aureus smells like decomposition while S. epidermis smells like old sweat. The trick to olfactory identification lies in the byproducts of growth. Many chemicals are volatile and can be picked up by a trained nose.